Officer accused of stalking and assaulting woman after misusing police database

A California woman is taking legal action against an Anaheim cop, alleging he sexually assaulted her after locating her through her license plate details.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court, says Officer Carlos Romero sexually assaulted a woman (named Jane Doe) last September. The suit claims Romero spotted the woman at In-N-Out back in May and then used her license plate to retrieve her information.

Romero befriended her on Facebook a day after seeing her at the burger restaurant. In a direct message, he reportedly confirmed that he had retrieved her personal information by running her license plate number. For months afterward, he continued to text and show up at her place while working.

The lawsuit says that on September 25th, Romero went to her house in his uniform while on duty. Even though she clearly refused sex, the suit claims Romero forced himself on her. According to the lawsuit, Doe kept telling him to stop, but he didn't until she managed to push him off. She said she was scared for her life, especially since his gun was right there on the couch. After she managed to shove him away, he supposedly made her perform oral sex on him.

Doe is now insisting on being paid $10 million or higher in compensation. In the legal case, she alleged that Romero not only physically and sexually attacked her, but infringed upon her rights regarding unlawful search and seizure as well. The city of Anaheim is also facing a lawsuit.

Mike Lyster, a representative from Anaheim, expressed that they have high standards for their officers and are committed to investigating any accusations of misconduct. Upon receiving the allegations, he said they promptly started investigating the case.

Anaheim PD has placed Romero on leave for now. Romero's whereabouts are unknown, and it's unclear if he has legal representation. There has been no statement from the District Attorney's office regarding the possibility of charging Romero.